S28262
AIR, Henry James
| Service Numbers: | 557, Officer, Commissioned Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 September 1914, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Penola, South Australia, Australia, 5 July 1889 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Telegraph Lineman |
| Died: | Daw Park, SA, 7 September 1965, aged 76 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia RSL,Wall 136, Niche, GO12 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Officers of S.A. Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department Great War Roll of Honor, Penola District WW1 Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Hobart | |
| 20 Oct 1914: |
Embarked
AIF WW1, Private, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Hobart embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' |
|
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement Private, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 20 Mar 1916: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
| 26 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Corporal, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| 23 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 557, 12th Infantry Battalion, Mouquet Farm | |
| 10 Nov 1916: | Transferred Second Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps | |
| 7 Sep 1917: | Involvement Sergeant, 557, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Sep 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 52nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 10 Oct 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, Officer, 52nd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres | |
| 25 Mar 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Commissioned Officer, 52nd Infantry Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918 | |
| 16 May 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 50th Infantry Battalion, WIth manpower shortages not being replaced through volunteer reinforcement, the AIF disbanded one Battalion in each Brigade, with the men being distributed among the remaining three Battalions. | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lieutenant, 557, 50th Infantry Battalion | |
| 23 Feb 1919: | Discharged | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 557 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
2nd Lieutenant Henry James Air RFC was one who did not stay long in the RFC, transferring back to the AIF in July 1917. He had been discharged from the AIF on 16 March 1917 to join the RFC. He resigned his commission on 17 July 1917 and transferred back to the AIF.
Air was an original member of E Company of the 12th Battalion and served at the Landing on Gallipoli, and almost served right through the campaign finally being evacuated to Malta with jaundice in December 1915. He went through Pozieres and Mouquet Farm unscathed and was promoted sergeant in France during August 1916. He went to the RFC in November 1916 and but only a few months after his discharge and commissioning he reenlisted in the AIF and was granted his old rank of sergeant back in the 12th Battalion before being transferred to the 52nd Battalion in September 1917. He was promoted to Lieutenant again in January and was granted the special Anzac Leave in October 1918 and returned to Australia.
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